This invention relates in general to seals and more particularly to a seal for an antifriction bearing.
Packaged wheel bearings have enjoyed widespread acceptance amongst automobile manufacturers, particularly for front wheel drive automobiles, in that they relieve the automobile manufacturers of several time-consuming assembly operations. On the assembly line, a worker at one station secures a packaged bearing to the suspension system of an automobile under assembly, while a worker at a later station attaches a road wheel to the bearing assembly. The bearing manufacturer actually assembles the packaged bearing, which saves work on the automobile assembly line and, more importantly, relieves the automobile manufacturer of adjusting the bearing. Indeed, the package bearing comes preset with a desired end play or preload.
Like any bearing that operates in a hostile environment of dirt, road chemicals, and water, a package bearing has seals to protect critical surfaces within it from contaminants and to retain grease. But packaged wheel bearings are very compact, and many do not have space to accommodate traditional seals.
The present invention resides in a seal which is highly compact and operates as a face seal in an extremely confined region of an antifriction bearing, which may be a package bearing. The seal has a case which fits over one bearing ring to establish a static barrier along that ring and an elastomeric seal element which bears against a radial sealing surface on another bearing ring serving to establish a live fluid barrier along that surface. The seal thus closes one end of the bearing interior. The case surrounds the seal element and protects it from stone impingement. The invention also resides in the seal in combination with a bearing assembly.